Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Topics - Jimbo

Pages: [1] 2 3
1
San Stefanos news and views / Silver moon
« on: December 21, 2023, 04:22:01 PM »
I'd be grateful if anybody could tell me what the TUI rooms are like at Silver Moon.  I know a lot of people it there, but what's the difference between the private rooms and TUI rooms?

2
San Stefanos news and views / TUI madness again
« on: December 19, 2023, 09:03:38 PM »
We would like to go to The Little Prince. It's the only place with a lift, which is great for elderly people, and they are good friends.

Three weeks would be ideal, but it's NOT possible. We went for three weeks in 2022. TUI has decreed that one cannot go for more than two weeks. I have that on authority from LP.

LP do not have private rooms, so that avenue is not available. I contacted TUI "customer service" and had the usual vague and patronising replies, boiling down to "You can't, so just go away."

This seems utterly stupid to me. What do you think?

3
San Stefanos news and views / Theodora
« on: March 16, 2023, 09:17:12 PM »
I'm very sad to report that Theodora, Spiros' venerable mother at Nafsika, has died. Her funeral was today.

A legendary cook, she was 89, and had been suffering ill-health for many years. For a long time she could be found sitting inside the hotel that she and her husband George built over thirty years go, usually with the little dog Marley by her side. She had a beautiful warm smile and a timeless air about her.


4
Information and help please / Greek entry requirements 2022
« on: April 25, 2022, 03:09:56 PM »
There have been a few queries about this spread over various random topics. This would be a good place to post questions and the latest information. The situation vis a vis the pandemic is constantly changing, so being up-to-date is vital for those traveling.

From Carl Nottingham:
Quote
Not sure if lesley will be able to confirm this my daughter and O/H not vaccinated but been told visitors won't need to show any negative test results regardless of vaccination status after May 2nd

Lesley's reply:
Quote
Good Morning Carl, I posted on FB a link as I have also read on line regarding this.  It was from a link called Schengen Visa Info and includes TCN's (Being UK as we are now non EU) I haven't heard this as yet on the Greek TV channels so I can't say for sure but here is the link.  Any update I will post when I see it or hear it via the Greek P.M.  Unless someone finds it before me and can also post.   www.schengenvisainfo.com

5
San Stefanos news and views / San Stef thriller
« on: March 27, 2022, 09:05:05 PM »
I'm very pleased to say that my new novel "Almond - and the deep blue sea" will be published this week. It's a tongue-in-cheek thriller set in Agios Stefanos, featuring private investigator Johnny Almond, who was a detective in London until he made a career-ending mistake.

It'll be available in Kindle and paperback.

It's a nervous moment for me, as you can imagine! I do hope you will enjoy it. You'll certainly know what the locations and the food look like!

 

6
San Stefanos news and views / September 2021
« on: September 18, 2021, 07:55:05 PM »
Great news: the beach is still here, and the beer is still cold.

Excellent friendly service at Doncaster Sheffield, including security. Cheerful staff in Wetherspoons. Beautiful sunrise over the runway, and flight on time. Alas it was cloudy all the way, so no great views of the Alps. Masks worn on plane, which was ten minutes early.

Very easy at immigration. He didn't even pick up and examine the PLF and certificates - just stamped the passports. Must say he looked pretty bored, and who can blame him?

Unfortunately, our taxi didn't show up, but the TUI staff at the airport were excellent, and got us on the next bus. On the bus were two San Stef regulars who had a nightmare at Manchester - still in security after two hours and had to run to the gate. No hot drinks on the plane, so they had to have Bacardi and toast for breakfast.

But we had a front row seat in the mostly empty bus, which didn't stop until we reached the village. Great welcome at Nafsika. Anso we began the usual adventure of trying to fit something in between eating.

Cloudy this morning with a southerly breeze - but the sun did come out, and we had a pleasant relax on the beach by Mistral.

It's quiet in the old village. Peace - just the sound of the small waves breaking. Bliss.

Wish some of you were here!

Jim

7
San Stefanos news and views / Corfu Webcams
« on: June 07, 2021, 08:39:55 PM »
Corfu-info.com has several webcams which are fun to look at.

But - joy! - the latest is at the airport. It's probably from the bar with a good view of the runway.

https://corfu-info.com/corfu-airport-webcam/#live

It's great to see the planes landing and taking off. Using this in conjunction with https://www.flightradar24.com/airport/cfu you can see when there will be something to watch!

8
San Stefanos news and views / Guest users
« on: April 22, 2020, 03:25:43 PM »
I notice that there are lots of guests on-line. Quite a lot of interesting stuff happens in the Yammas bar area. To access this, you need to register.

It's free! Come on board...

9
San Stefanos news and views / Soap or sanitiser?
« on: March 22, 2020, 04:14:55 PM »
My experience from younger family members is that they are suspicious of an old-fashioned bar of soap. They think anything that comes out of a bottle in a slurp is better. They are wrong.

Here are the scientific facts, which have not been very well explained by government or media:

1.   Soap is more effective against viruses that alcohol
2.   Alcohol is more effective against bacteria

Bacteria are living organisms. They are like amoebas. They lock onto cells and fuse with them and then transfer DNA into the cell to reproduce, pretty much the same way spermatozoa fuse with eggs to make an embryo.  Alcohol is a poison, and kills them.

Viruses are not alive in the same way at all. They are, in the case of corona viruses, hollow spheres of lipid (fat) enclosing RNA, the more primitive precursor of DNA. They only have one purpose – to reproduce. They lock onto a cell using their spikes and inject the RNA into the cell. The cell then becomes a factory to make them in vast numbers.

Because viruses are not “alive” you can’t kill them; but you can destroy them. To do this you must break their outer walls the way a siege engine breaks a castle wall. Alcohol can do this, but slowly compared to soap.
Soap loves two things: water and fat. You can keep a bar of soap in a dry cupboard for years. But wet it, and it will develop a soft surface. Leave it in a dish of water and it will turn into gloop. When you wash your hands with soapy water it makes the skin slippery. Because soap also likes fat, if it encounters any, such as the fatty remains of the lamb chop you picked, up it will bind with it, loosen its grip on the skin, and it will slide off in running water. The same applies to corona viruses: the soap starts to  dissolve the lipid walls, which are punctured, like putting acid on a football. The virus bursts, spills its payload of RNA and is flushed off the skin.

Getting it off the skin requires some friction to help the virus to unstick. That’s why, as the actress said to the bishop, it’s important to rub if you want to get it off. The same applies to alcohol, but it’s not as efficient and takes longer.

Whomsoever of our ancestors discovered that mixing and heating sodium hydroxide, water and animal fat to make soap deserves a great big memorial. Soap has saved countless lives, and can help to save ours now. 

10
San Stefanos news and views / Nafsica or Nafsika
« on: November 20, 2019, 04:11:49 PM »
A while ago there was a discussion on the subject of how to spell Princess Nafsika on Facebook. I researched this quite thoroughly, and you may find the results interesting or tedious:

It's all down to the Romans and Latin. Latin (or Italian) does not have a K character. So when the Roman and later scholars wrote about the myth of how Odysseus was shipwrecked on an island bearing a marked resemblance to Kerkyra, they changed all the Ks to CC. Greek does not have the letter C. So it's about alphabets.

There is also some confusion about the letter U in Greek. It's really a V or F sound. I was brought up to pronounce Epidaurus in the Bible as epi-daw-rus, but if you've been to the wonderful theatre near Nafplion you'll know is epi-dav-ross. The Latin scholars, confronted with the word Nafsika in Greek changed it Nausiccaa - which sounds to us like a stomach complaint.

In Homer it's Nausikâ. Notice the kappa (K) and the U (F or V) and you get Nafsika. O Spiros fully accepted the answer, so you may notice that the webcam is Nafsika and not Nafsica.

Keep warm!

11
San Stefanos news and views / What I do...
« on: August 28, 2019, 02:40:18 AM »
I've spent a lot of time talking to people in Agios Stefanos about being a playwright and screenwriter, and there's always the question "What have you written?"

Apart from the grime of The Bill and Eastenders, there is one thing I wrote set in another beautiful, but very different, island from Corfu - Dominica in the Caribbean. Originally from Trinidad, the director Horace Ove was the first black director to work in UK film and television. Alas, Horace now has advanced Alzheimers. The producer, Malcolm Craddock, died last year. At the age of nearly 77 I don't have a lot of time left, and I hope this will be a suitable memorial to all three of us! Originally commissioned and shown by Channel 4, and recently screened at the BFI, "The Orchid House" has now been released on All Four. If you have four hours to spare, the link is here:

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-orchid-house

12
Out and About / Archaeological Museum
« on: August 16, 2019, 12:49:20 AM »
The Archaeological Museum in Corfu Town reopened this year (2109). Near the Old Harbour and Corfu Palace Hotel it's a great visit for those who like to find out about the past of where they are.

https://youtu.be/1BlgdcvNnVM

Interesting from the perspective of those of us who go to NW Corfu is that really was the heart of neolithic activity - the region around what is now Corfu Town doesn't have much there. The islands have many sites, and Sidari was very significant.

13
San Stefanos news and views / Pound/Euro 2019
« on: January 29, 2019, 03:48:16 PM »
Might be worth noting here any good or bad news when it comes to holiday dosh...

I tend to quote TravelFX for cash, because it's almost always the best rate.

Today the rate is quite good by the poor contemporary standards at 1.1403
IMX puts this down to lower growth in the Eurozone and the possibility of Brexit being postponed or cancelled. As nobody has a clue about what's going to happen it's all a shot in the dark.

14
San Stefanos news and views / Hair dresser
« on: June 24, 2017, 03:34:05 PM »
Patritsia tells me that her salon (opposite Nafiska, next to Hippopots, is not open this year for technical reasons.

BUT - she can still do your hair (ladies or blokes) - visiting you in the comfort of your apartment. Phone 00306947552205. If you forget the number, look on the salon door or ask at Nafsika.

15
San Stefanos news and views / Pound-Euro 2016
« on: March 17, 2016, 12:44:40 PM »
I notice various people have started the usual discussion on Facebook about whether it's better to buy Euros now or wait and see if the rate goes up.
Today (March 17) TravelFX's rate is 1.245.

Before Xmas it was over 1.4 - that is before Cameron announced the referendum date in February. The referendum has created a climate of instability, so it's very unlikely that we are going to see the rate go much higher.

HSBC and other banks are predicting a potential drop of 20% in the rate in the event of a Brexit vote: http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/feb/24/brexit-could-wipe-20-percent-off-the-pound-warns-hsbc

The net result of that would be (on today's rates) a new rate of 0.996. As a consequence, we could expect a 20% increase in the cost of a holiday.

The conclusion for me is that it's probably better to buy Euros well before June. If it goes much above 1.3 I'll get some.

Pages: [1] 2 3

San Stefanos

Where to eat Cafés and Bars Holiday Info Tourist info

Local Walks

Walk to Arillas Walk to AG Georgios Walk to Afionas Walk to Porto Timoni